New Beginnings
by Death276
Summary: 75 years after Nyx was sealed, Minato wakes up in an unfamiliar era. As Minato starts his new life, he must learn about the magic of the future, all the while trying to decipher the mysterious words told to him by Igor.
1. Chapter 1

I do not own Persona nor Mahouka Koukou No Rettousei

* * *

><p>I draw in a deep and shaky breath. This feels like my first breath in years. Although being the Seal requires no oxygen it feels weird to be unable to breathe. After taking in several more gulps of air I start to take in my surroundings. Blue, the room around me is covered with shades of blue. My eyes slowly adjust to the light, not surprising seeing as they haven't been used in…how long have I been sleeping?<p>

"Welcome to the velvet room, it has been awhile, young man."

"Igor," my dry throat is able to whisper out. Indeed Igor now sits in front of me along with Elizabeth.

"It is nice to see you again, Minato-sama," Elizabeth smiles a smile and I feel slightly relieved. I haven't seen them in so long. Speaking of which…

"How long has it been?" I ask voice still strained, but another thought strikes me and my eyes widen in panic. "The seal! What about the-!"

"Quiet now, all has been taken care of," Igor motions to me to calm myself. He then motions to Elizabeth and she nods.

"After your sacrifice, the world was kept safe. With you keeping Erebus at bay I have been able to kill it year after year. In your time approximately 75 years have passed. Thanks to the efforts of both your friends and the people after you, mankind's despair has dwindled and Erebus is no longer a threat. I then took the initiative to remove you from the seal."

_Bullshit_. Erebus was no longer a threat? The personification of mankind's grief and negative emotions was gone? I was no genius but that didn't sound very logical. Either humans had finally built a utopia and despair was no longer an emotion or mankind was annihilated and Erebus could no longer form. Before I could continue this train of thought, Elizabeth continued to speak.

"The world has changed drastically from what you have known. Now humans have the capacity to use magic." At this my posture straightens and I clear my throat.

"Magic? As in persona magic?" I falter. At this Igor shakes his head.

"Not exactly, the magic of the present days is considered to be magic from ancient times, but instead of spell books and wands machines are used as the medium. They use energy called Psion to work their magic, it is basically what you used to create your magic. The magic of persona's is technically not classified as either ancient nor modern though. It is the magic of the soul."

My mind is trying to keep pace with the conversation and I cradle my head in my hands. Aside from just waking up, I have learned Erebus is gone, that it is 80 years in the future and humans can now use magic but a different type than mine. Needless to say I have taken in a lot of information. As if sensing my distress Igor chuckles.

"All in due time I suppose. You will have plenty of time to learn about it while you are there."

"While I am there?" Igor's last comment confuses me. My head snaps up and I brush away my hair to look at the two. Igor has his creepy smile still plastered on his face but it has a hint of sadness. Elizabeth is much easier to read as a frown is clearly visible on her face.

"My apologizes, Minato-sama" comes Elizabeth's weak reply. "We cannot house you here in the velvet room. Your only choices would be returning to the living or simply moving on." I am struck silent with her words. I had never really thought of passing on but returning to the world of the living? I would need food, shelter, money. I would have no relations or contacts. Sadly enough death seemed to be the more logical decision.

"I'm sorry but… death seems a bit more logical." At my words Elizabeth's face pales. I chance a glance at Igor only to see his famous poker face… I have never been able to read him. I begin to explain my reasoning and Elizabeth nods with a look of understanding coming over her.

"Minato-sama, your worries are valid but we have thought ahead. You will be reincarnated of sorts. You will be given a new body of a younger age. This way you will grow up learning the magic of the world. You will retain your memories of course."

"Only my memories?" I press. Having my memories would be nice but would be ultimately give only a slight edge. Most of my knowledge would be outdated or worthless. Igor took up the mantle to speak.

"You will retain you persona's but not in the way you think. Your body will be reverted to that of a child. If you kept your persona's as they were your mind and soul would become utter chaos. As you grow and you physical body develops you will be able to unlock more of the personas in your Compendium. Speaking of which, Elizabeth if you would." At this Elizabeth stepped forward with a familiar book in hand. She stops before me and pushes the book to my chest. Before I can make a move to grab is the book begins to sink into my chest and I gasp in surprise. Finally the book disappears into my body and all that is left are Elizabeth's warm hands. Her face is also inches from mine with a sultry smile on her face. I flush before Igor clears his throat. Elizabeth quickly returns to her position beside Igor and I get control of my emotions. "How do you feel, young man?" I breathe in and close my eyes clearing my mind. I see a glimmer in my mind's eye and the card of Orpheus spirals into my sights. I concentrate deeper and sense my other persona. Unlike Orpheus though, they seem distant and unreachable. Many of the partners I had used are there. Alice, Thor, Odin, Messiah the list goes on and on. My breath hitches as I come upon one of my ace's.

"Thanatos?" I whisper unable to quell my surprise.

"He is too deeply integrated with your soul. We were unable to seal him away." Elizabeth answers the unspoken question. "We hope you use him wisely as your new body will be unable to take the strain of using him. Avoid him please." I nod at her words. Igor and Elizabeth had never led me astray.

"Anything else I should be informed of?" I look between them waiting for one to speak.

"As I have told you before, Social links help nurture your soul. You have completed quite the number already but alas the people you have bonded with have died long ago." Igor replies. "I again urge you to reform you social links with others and try to regain the friends you had in your past life." I nod my acceptance of his suggestion and he continues. "Before you depart I have some passing guidance for you. _The first step is most important_ and _befriend the brother of death_" I resist the urge to grit my teeth. Igor was being rather open throughout this conversation but it seems old habits die hard. Now I had riddles on my plate to deal with.

"When will I see you again?" I ask this more out of curiosity than anything but their response surprises me.

"You won't" Igor's works seem to grind the conversation to a halt. "Unless the fate of the world is in danger you will not hear from us again. You fulfilled your contract thus there is no reason to meet anymore." I look to Elizabeth, shock leaking through my facade. Elizabeth refuses to meet my eyes. I take once last breath and stand.

"Alright, I think I am ready. Thank you for everything." My farewell is brief but heartfelt, as these are the last two people alive who know me.

"It was a pleasure Minato-sama" Elizabeth says and gives a slight bow.

Igor's smile, if possible, grows even wider. "Young man, you truly were a remarkable guest." With this statement Igor snaps his fingers and my world goes black.

* * *

><p>Cold. The world around me is freezing. I wake up and the first sensation I feel is a deathly chill settling over me. The next thing I notice is that my head feels too big for my body. I breathe and my lungs feel like their filling with ice. My body is shaking and my eyes open to a blurry white landscape. I have seem to have been dropped in a snow storm as visibility is near zero. I need shelter or at least warmth, or I will freeze to death. I raise a shaking hand and equip Orpheus.<p>

"Agi." The effect is lackluster. I only see a spark of flame before it dies. I try again but this too is in vain. I start to panic but my logic forces me to stay calm. I have faced worse than this. I desperately try to recall how it feels to cast a spell. I mimic the motions of a lifetime ago and bring my hand to the side of my head. "Persona" I whisper will mimicking the action of firing a gun. Nothing, although without the evoker I expected as much. I recall of what Igor said, do I need a machine to cast my spell? No, Elizabeth would have said something. Psion was it? Igor mentioned it was the same as the spirit energy I used before. I close my eyes and direct what I hope to psions into my soul.

"Agi!" Flames burst into life between my hands. The fire is small, pathetic compare to past agi's, but I don't care as I drink in the warm it provides. I turn my head trying to find shelter from the storm, but all I can see are the passing flakes of white. I begin to walk. I walk for 300 maybe 400 meters, it is impossible to tell with the storm. Every once in a while I call out but not even my echoes answer me. I suddenly become lightheaded and I fall to the ground, the flames disappearing. Exhaustion? My vision starts to swim in front of me as I vaguely realize that my young body could not maintain the spell because of the lack of psions. Am I to die here?

I hear the sound of crunching snow off to my right. The sound steadily grows closer before I hear a gasp and the sound comes closer at a faster rate. A pair of arms picks me up from the cold landscape and a women's voice rings in my ear.

"Are you ok? Stay with me, alright?" She seems worried, no doubt about the condition I am in. I am unable to respond to her question the drain of magic is too much. She keeps talking but I am too dazed to comprehend the words. The woman carries me and soon I see a vehicle's lights in the distance. A man's voice calls out to my rescuer.

"Kyouko, what took so long we need to leave." The person holding me does not respond in favor of walking closer the vehicle. I hear the man splutter, "Is he-?"

"No." The answer is short but concise. "He will need medical attention though he is half frozen to death." The man scurries off and Kyouko carries me into the back of the van. She wraps a blanket around me rests my head on her lap. She reaches into her pocket and pulls out a phone.

"This is Kyouko Fujibayashi reporting in. I found a child in the tundra, you wouldn't believe it, this kid-" That's all I can make out before I lose consciousness.

* * *

><p>My name is Kyouko Fujibayashi and I have recently joined the 101 Independent Magic-Equipped Battalion. My squad was given the assignment of looking into a severe flux in the atmosphere. It was assumed to be UNP (unexplained natural phenomenon) but we are being sent as a precaution. The readings for the phenomenon are in a general area as we were unable to pinpoint the flux. To make matters worse a storm has brewed making visibility near zero. My squad splits us to cover the ground more effectively and I am left shielding my face from the biting wind. Although I can use magic to warm myself, the use of psions would tire me more quickly and the suit is doing a good enough job. An hour passes and my squad leader radios the squad telling us to head out.<p>

I send back the affirmative and am about to return when I see fire of all things in the distance. I assume this is a distress call or at the very least someone's desperate attempt to keep warm. I make the decision to find out who is in trouble and head towards the light. Half way there the light suddenly dies and I am left confused. Readying my CAD I approach the site cautious of anything that looks out of place. I gasp as I see a young boy of seven or eight face down in the snow. I rush towards him and pick him up in my arms. He is unresponsive to my questions and I fear the worst. I calm myself when I find his pulse, weak but still present and I take a quick look around the area. The only foot prints are his but I still call out hoping someone might answer. I check his pulse again only to notice he lacks a CAD. I quickly glance tells me that he did not drop it in the snow as there are no indents. An ancient magician then and at the tender age of 7? I do not hesitate any longer and I move back to the vehicle as quickly as I can. As I approach I am vaguely aware of my teammate yelling to me but I ignore him. My excitement is uncontainable, if this child is truly a magical prodigy then the Kudou family will have a second heir that can stand beside the first in terms of strength. I send in a report and ask if I can care for the child. Permission is granted and I smile in relief. How can this possible go wrong?

* * *

><p>My eyes blearily open to a white ceiling. A hospital perhaps? A blink my eyes and they begin to clear. The room is ornate and the walls are covered with paintings and pictures. On the right, light streams in from wide windows that give me a view a large garden below. I turn my head to the left and I am greeted with the sight of a beautiful woman. She is reading a book and is too engrossed in it to notice that I have awoken. I sit up, the rustling of sheet alerting the woman beside me. She quickly shuts her book and places all her attention towards me. I look back, betraying no emotions.<p>

"You were asleep for three days. How are you feeling?" She asks as she places the book to the side.

"I am fine," my throat is dry but I manage to croak out a response. Hearing the strain, she reaches for a pitcher of water on the bedside table and fills a cup and hands it to me. I drink deeply before I ask anything.

"Who are you?" Our questions are asked simultaneously and we are left at a short lull in conversation. The woman smiles and decides to break the ice.

"My name is Kyouko Fujibayashi and the granddaughter of Retsu Kudou." Her response is said with a hint of pride but to a time traveler like me these titles mean nothing. I notice the expectant look she is giving me and I give my own introduction.

"My name is Minato…" I stop short. What else can I say? The name Arisato is probably long dead and I have no connections to speak of. Kyouko nods with a small smile on her face as if urging me to continue but I simply shake my head.

"Sorry…I don't remember." At my statement her face pales considerably. I know having amnesia is not the best situation but I did not expect this reaction. She takes a deep breath and her hands go to massage her forehead.

"Alright Minato-kun…what about your family? Any parents, siblings or relatives?" I ponder her question for a moment and decide to be truthful. Although amnesia is not uncommon, complete amnesia is quite rare.

"I am an orphan, as for relatives I believe they are all dead." At this Kyouko's shoulders slump. I do not know if this is out of disappointment or sadness. She tries a different line of questioning.

"You seem to be 7 years old. When were you born?"

"Sorry…I don't remember."

"Do you know where you live? Or a location nearby?"

"Sorry…I don't remember" My responses do nothing to lighten the mood.

"Do you know why you were in the tundra?"

"Sorry…" I feel like broken tape recorded repeating the same thing. With each response Kyouko becomes more and more distressed.

"What about your CAD?" the question comes out more than a plea than a question. I lower my head, hair hiding my eyes and ground out my answer.

"Sorry…"

The air is thick and Kyouko simply shakes her head is a sad way.

"I knew this was a mistake, but I really thought that.." She looks at me with tears in her eyes but quickly composes herself. "Well, seeing as you have no parents or relatives we will have to send you to an orphanage." She continues to speak about making arrangements but it falls on deaf ears. My future is once again a mystery. Instead of being passed form family to family, I will be in an orphanage. I know nothing of this world and have nothing to cling to.

* * *

><p>This cannot be happening… the boy, Minato has woken up with no memory whatsoever. That aside he is an orphan with no living relatives. There is no way I can track down his records. I don't know if he is from a modern magic family or an ancient magic one. I don't even know if he can use magic. Even question I ask sends me deeper into depression. I messed up, plain and simply. I made the assumption that this boy was a magician and I will pay dearly for my conclusions. Headquarters will demand an explanation and I will need to find a family or an orphanage to take the boy in. No doubt that word will make its way through the grapevine and my clan will know of my error. A great start to my career… hopefully I will be able to keep my job. I massage my temples as a headache appears and I look at him desperately to see if I am not mistaken in some way. I hold onto the dim hope that he will be some great asset for the clan in some way. All I see is his hair covering his eyes, avoiding my tear filled gaze. I tell him what needs to be done but he does not seem to be listening. The least I can do is ask him where the fire came from.<p>

"Where did you find that fire anyway?" Kyouko's question breaks through my thoughts. I glance up to her questioning look.

"I made it with magic." No sense in hiding it, I will be shipped off soon enough, might as well satisfy her curiosity and be done with it. Her reaction however is completely different from what I expected.

"You made it!?" There is a slight undertone of excitement in her voice as she nearly pounces on me, her face closer than I would like. I back away slightly only nodding my head in response.

"Without the assistance of a CAD?" I see a glimmer of hope in her eyes as she says this. Unless persona's are considered these CAD things then I am reasonable certain that I am able to perform magic without one. I nod again.

"Could you show me right now?" Kyouko is once again smiling the smile I saw she had in the beginning. Why is this so important to her? Regardless I bring up my hands and hold them equidistance apart. I remember what I did in the tundra. I compress what I believe to be my psions towards the center of my body towards my "soul."

"Agi." The effect is instantaneous and small orb of fire comes to life between my palms. I hold it there for a few seconds before I let the spell fade. I look over to Kyouko for approval and she surprises me by gathering me into a hug.

"I knew it! I knew it! With the amnesia though but-" I don't know what she is so is so happy about but she is crushing me between her arms. The only words I hear repeated are "prodigy" and "revolutionize". The rest of the day was a blur; Kyouko was making calls non-stop telling people that they need to come to a "clan meeting." I stayed in the room for the majority of the day until I was asked to join Kyouko for dinner. With Kyouko is such as happy mood, she was more than willing to answer my questions. I took the initiative to learn about this world. Psions, CADs, modern magic, ten master clans, the list was endless and I was amazed at her seemingly endless patience. I also was about to piece together major events from my timeline to the current time, but I would have to access a real databank later. Once the meal ends I am ushered to bed and told to rest for the coming day. Although I have slept for more than three days, I find take come easily and I am lost to the world.

"Wake up!" I am startled awake from the shout close to my ear. My eyes are wide and my hands have my blankets in a death grip. Kyouko is beside me laughing with smile. I shoot her a glare which only make her laugh harder. Once she has finally quelled her laughter she gestures me to rise.

"The official meeting for the kudo family is today. We need to be ready." With those words she is off leaving me to my own devices. Soon the time arrives and we are on our way to the meeting. The building we have enter is enormous but Kyouko navigates it without trouble. I cringe again at the stiffness of the suit I am wearing but do not say a work. I can tell Kyouko is anxious and does not need my petty complains to add to the pile. Soon, we reach our destination, a pair of closed doors.

"The most important people of the clan will be present Minato-kun. I NEED you to be on your best behavior, please." I nod firmly in respond but this is not enough for her. She knees to my level and gently yet firmly holds me by my shoulders and looks me directly in the eyes.

"Please take this seriously."

"I promise you with my very soul that I will not mess up." My odd response is effective enough to convince her. She may not know it but I cannot afford to mess up. From what little I know of this world, the ten master clans have the greatest influence, I would be a fool to pass up a chance to impress them. She nods once and stands tall and proceeds to the doors opening them. The room is filled with men sitting at a long table. As I enter along with Kyouko all the gazes fall on us. The room is filled with grunts of displeasure as they take me in.

"I was called here for this?"

"Too soon to have a kid, don't you think Kyouko?"

"He is just a brat."

The room quiets as the man at the head of the table raises his hand to silence them. I recognize him to be Retsu Kudou the head of the Kudou clan.

"Kyouko, the silencing spells are in place. What is this meeting about that could not be discussed over the phone?"

"I would like the Kudou clan to take this child into the family." The effects of her words were immediate. Shouts of protest and disgust filled the room but Kyouko showed no signs of wavering. The outbursts died quickly as Restu raised his hand again.

"That is a bold statement, I hope there is reasoning to your suggestion?" Kyouko nodded to the head of the clan and continued.

"In a mission four days ago for the 101 Independent Magic-Equipped Battalion, we were send into check a disturbance in the tundra area 30 miles north of sector 17 headquarters. A snowstorm in the area limited our search but I saw a light in the distance and I assume it was a distress flare." My eyes widen slightly at this comment, I had not realized that it was the fire that had attracted her attention.

"After picking up the signal I approached the area to find Minato." At this she gestured to me. "I searched the area but found no signs of his CAD or anything for the fire and I assumed he was an ancient magician. I reported my finding to HQ and was given time off to take care of the boy. After a hospital check-up he was placed in my home to rest." The men surprisingly stayed silent but I knew there would be hell to pay if they did not like the end of the story.

"Yesterday, Minato woke up and upon my question found he is an orphan affected with a mild case of amnesia." _Mild?_ I frowned inwardly at this, I didn't know 85% of what she asked me. Although, having a severe case of amnesia would probably hurt my chances with the board, so I kept my mouth shut.

"The biggest discovery though was this boy can cast without an activation sequence." You could have heard a pin drop. The men at the table had their jaws dropped. Even Restu seemed surprised but his poker face revealed nothing to me.

"May we see a demonstration?" Someone from the group ventured. At his question I immediately stepped forward and raised a single hand palm facing skyward.

"Agi." The effect was instantaneous as sphere of fire burned brightly above my palm. I held it out as if displaying it to the men then I closed my palm cutting off the psion supply. The room immediately burst into noise.

"Which facilities are open for testing?"

"Where does the boy plan to stay?"

"How fast can we draw up the papers?" Kyouko is smiling beside me and I feel happy about the results as well. If this type of casting is rare, hopefully I will have a bright future.

A single voice cuts through the excited chatter.

"There was an activation sequence." At the words of Retsu the room's excitement dies to nothing. I ball my fist tighter and I can tell Kyouko's is shaking slightly. The men quiet down whispering to one another.

Who cast the spell? The silent question permeated the room. I clearly had no CAD on me but apparently there had been an activation sequence. Quickly the suspicions all pointed to Kyouko who shook slightly beside me.

"There was an activation sequence," Retsu repeats, "but even I have never seen something like it. It was if his soul itself acted as his medium to cast the spell. Although there may be an activation sequence the cast time is far superior to modern magic."

I silently release the breath I was holding and the rest of the room's tension fades.

I watch as Restu then stands and declares, "As the leader of the Kudou clan I hereby accept you into our family as Minato Kudou!"

* * *

><p>AN: I hope you enjoyed the story. Please review. Tell me what you liked and tell me what you disliked.<p> 


	2. Meeting the head

A/N: Before the chapter begins some items of note.

Firstly, I was told I portrayed Minato incorrectly. I apologize, but I cannot conform to everyone ideal "Minato." If you dislike the way he is portrayed then I am sorry to hear that, go read a fan-fiction that portrays your type.

Secondly, please stop telling me to go read other fan-fictions for ideas and or "how it should be done." I may not see like it but I am a impressionable writer. I will want to take ideas that work and put it in my story. I am sure no one wants their ideas ripped of and placed into other stories.

Lastly, there were a few mistakes in the last chapter in regard to continuity.

1. Kyouko is not part of the ten master clans, although she is the daughter of Restu.

2. Flash casting is a secret of the Yotsuba. Kyouko would not know such a thing.

The changes have been made to the first chapter.

Well here is the next chapter.

* * *

><p>2086 CE, 1 year since arrival.<p>

I have a lot to learn. My training started the day after I was "welcomed" into the clan. I am woken up at 5 A.M. each day to start with physical training. I practice with a kendo sword against an opponent three times my age. This is to increase my stamina and reaction time. After seven hours of practicing forms and spars, I am given a quick lunch and rushed to practice not only modern magic with a CAD, but also to train my "Soul magic." It has become blindly clear that although I am part of the Kuduo family, I am not seen at their equals. The training is so extensive I can barely stand afterword. Although it is possible, I have doubts that the current heir is treated the same way as me. The council men are indifferent to me, the few times I see them they ask my instructors about my progress and health. I have spoken with some only once or twice and the conversations are quick and to the point. I feel more like a tool than member of the clan. Even so I keep my mouth shut. I have faced shadows and this type of training is child's play compared to them.

Besides the training is not completely worthless, as I train, my body slowly becomes more resilient. I am overjoyed at what I discovered after a few short weeks of intense training. Pixie, Apsaras and other weaker persona are steadily becoming available to me as my young body grows stronger. Thanatos though, stays steadily out of my reach. Each time I try to equip him my head throbs and my body shakes. I need more strength to use the God of Death it seems. This itself is enough of a reason to keep training, but I find that I gain one more advantage to this ridiculous training regimen. While I have a persona equipped my strength and magical capabilities change to match that persona. As harsh as this training is, it is good combat experience. My weaker persona are slowing gaining strength and I have kept a constant cycle of persona, so that all my persona's increase their strength uniformly. If I learned anything from my past life, it's not to place all your eggs in one basket.

Magical training has been an… experience. The use of a CAD feels unfamiliar to me but I am slowly getting used to it. There seems to be huge difference between my magic and modern magic. In a physical sense it is the same. If I want to freeze something modern magic would set the coordinates of the object and then slow the molecules in that area eventually freezing the object. However my spells simply freeze the target. In reality if a magician is skilled enough the time between my persona magic and modern would be non-existent. My "soul magic" has one ability that even modern magic cannot copy. My "Ma" magic can be used to target several objects and release the spell simultaneously. Modern magic can cast spells in sequence, but as of yet simultaneous casting is something I have not heard of. While my "soul casting" is superior in speed it pales in comparison to modern magic's strength. While I believe this is because of the magical abilities of my persona and not me, I hold no reason to share this information and keep quiet about it. If my thoughts are correct my casting speed and strength will eventually outstrip that of modern magic. Only time will tell.

Today is the same as any other and I struggle to stand after being knocked down. Apsaras was probably not my smartest choice for sword practice. The instructor is looking down at me with that face again, but I ignore him and stagger the proper sword stance.

"That's enough for today," My instructor and I freeze as Retsu Kudou enters the training facility. I haven't seen this man in four months. He appears on a whim and disappears without notice. My instructor bows and I follow suit, no need to get on the bad side of the head of the clan.

"Enough of the bowing, I came here to speak with you, not to watch you two bow." This is a change for once, usually people in power appreciate the groveling, but I do as I am told and stand straight. My instructor stays in the same position.

"With all due respect Kudou-sama-" he starts but is quickly cut off.

"I expect respect from my employee's not adoration." Retsu beckons to my instructor to follow. "Minato, take a rest. I have some details to talk over with your instructor. Once I am finished you will accompany me for the day." I nod in return and Restu leaves the training gym, my instructor in tow. The doors close leaving me alone. I stretch my arm, feeling the pain of my sore muscles. Now is a good as time as any. I switch to pixie and compress my psions to my soul.

"Dia" The pain dulls and I am able to move more freely. I wait 5 minutes and they still have not returned. Not that I mind, this is my first break in a while. 10 more minutes pass and Restu walks in with my instructor.

"Minato, if you are ready we will leave at once." Without waiting for my response, he turns and leaves, prompting me to follow. I quickly catch up and walk next to him but he stays silent. Soon we exit the building where a parked limo waits for us. We are ushered in by the driver and then we are off, destination unknown to me. The silence is heavy and all I can do is stare out the window or stare at the man across from me. I pick the former and watch as the city glides by.

"How has your training been?" The question distracts me from my sightseeing and I bring my attention back to the head of the clan. I don't know if he is trying to break the silence or is generally curious.

"No complaints as of yet," I keep my response neutral, not saying I enjoy the training but not wanting to offend the head. Restu simply sighs and straightens his position.

"Do you have any questions?" The clan head pressed again. I mentally rolled my eyes. Of course I have questions. Where are we going? Why did you want me to come along? What is the point of all of this? My mental ramblings aside, there was one question that stuck out.

"Why was I accepted into the Kudou clan?" Before Restu could object I continued. "I did not beg, nor did I ask to join the clan, the board wanted me to join. They certainly didn't do it out of the kindness of their hearts either. They barely say a word to me when they come to check my progress." My eyes once again moved to watch the cityscape. "So, what is the real reason?" The silence seemed to last an hour before Restu spoke.

"Allow me to be frank with you, Minato." My gaze turned to meet his. "The Kudou clan is not in the best of positions."

"Financially?" I joked, the Kodou's had more than enough money floating around, but Restu managed a smile.

"Not exactly, our position in the ten clans is in danger. I will be stepping down within the year and my son Makoto will take over as clan head."

"You don't think your son can handle it?" Restu shook his head.

"Although some of his actions have been questionable he is the best candidate for the job. The problem arises when my son finishes his role as clan head. He will need to pass it to someone else."

"There is no next of kin? That doesn't see like that big of a problem." Restu again shook his head.

"Makoto does have a son, but he is… ill."

"He can't fight off a cold?"

"His sickness is more genetic than anything." Restu corrected himself at my question. "He may die before adulthood."

"Then why not have another-" my words die in my mouth. If the sickness was genetic then there would be no point in having another child as the child would inherit the genes.

"Even if we chose to have another child we would be at a severe disadvantage."

"Disadvantage? Against the other clans?" Restu nodded.

"All the clan 2nd generation heirs are currently around the same age give or take a few years. If another heir was born he would be eight to ten years behind the current heirs. There are also the factors of whether or not they will inherit the genetic disease, or if they will be as strong magically. Our current second generation heir is extremely powerful but is bedridden quite often."

"Alright, so your problem is that you have no solid 2nd generation heir." I summarized quickly. "What does this have to do with my 'adoption'?" Retsu tapped his chin before answering.

"Let me put it this way. If you needed an heir of the age eight to ten with extraordinary magical ability and one simply dropped into your lap, what would you do?" I stare at Restu in horror. Being a member of a famous clan is one thing but the heir? If I knew anything about being the heir of an ancient, highly esteemed group, it was that my life would be dictated by manners and appearances. Mitsuru had shown me well enough. Still I didn't obtain the universe without a silver tongue; I could try to get out of this mess.

"Don't you think you are jumping the gun a bit? What if I am not as skilled as you think?" I am happy my voice sounds more confident than I feel.

"What do you think the last year was? Fun and games? You were put through training no mere child could complete and you endured it without a single complaint." For the first time in a while, I cursed my persona healing abilities for being so convenient.

"What about the current 2nd generations heir's opinion? I am sure he would be _overjoyed_ to hear that you are thinking of replacing him."

"Honestly, you're probably right. Minoru would be overjoyed that someone more capable is taking the position. Of course he has known about this situation for a while. He actually requested to see you which is where we are headed now." It takes all my willpower not to drop my jaw. An heir that is ok with a stranger taking his rightful position? The boy is either insane or ridiculously understanding.

"I could always refuse, you know," I try again to avert the decision made by Restu. I am lying through my teeth. I don't have a penny to my name or a place to go. They could throw me to the street and leave me without a second thought. Restu knows this as well and smiles slightly and chuckles. He doesn't even need to say a word and I know my argument won't work.

"It could be a waste training me, your heir could become healthy again." I am grasping at straws, but again the clan head has an answer.

"I always believe in having a back-up plan. Just in case something may arise." I sigh and lean back into the seat resigned to cruel fate of business meetings and suits. Restu laughs at my reaction. "To be fair nothing has been decided as of yet. There are many men on the board that disagree with my decision." I simply shrug; if the board hasn't convinced this man then I can do little more to persuade him otherwise.

"That aside the others in the ten master clans have been interested in you. You have been the hot topic as of late." Restu says perking my interest. At my questioning look he continues. "It is not every day that a master clan adopts someone. Usually the clans would simply look you up in any of their databases but there are no records of you. It helps that you don't remember anything and we haven't shown you to the public. A majority of the clans have asked to meet you; even the Yotsuba clan has expressed interest."

"As interesting as this is-" I say breaking him off, "I literally know nothing about the ten master clans. If you want me to be the heir, or sub-heir, I will need to learn about them." I may not enjoy the prospect of being a substitute heir but there is no way I will half-ass this. If I fail I will be kicked to the curb quite quickly.

"Of course, every Sunday you will attend political lessons with my grandson, Minoru. He has reached the age of seven this month and will start political training with you. Today is only a day to meet one another so, no lessons are planned for today." The only response he gets out of me is a nod and the rest of the ride is in silence. The majority of my thoughts are about the boy I am to meet. Although I am eight physically, I am sixteen mentally. Hopefully I will be able to keep a cool head if the child is a brat.

* * *

><p>The light of the sun warms my blankets and my gaze turns to the door as it creaks open and my maid calls to me.<p>

"Minoru-sama, Restu-sama and Minato are here to meet you." I cringe slightly as the way Minato is addressed. I have never met the boy before, but people commonly do not use an honor-fic with his name. Aside for my grandfather, people rarely speak about him. I know little about him aside from some details, having amnesia and him being the substitute heir behind me. It is as if he is a demon or some otherworldly being. He has gone through strenuous training through the past year. This was done under the context of training him to become a proper heir, but I have my doubts. At my seventh birthday I asked my grandfather to meet Minato and he whole heartily accepted my proposal. So I lay here and wait for the boy of mysteries to walk through my doorway. As if on cue the door opens and my grandfather enters along with the boy.

"Greetings Minoru-sama." The blue-haired boy rises from his stiff bow and while his hair hides one eye, a gray eye bores into mine. His expression is masked and I cannot tell if he is happy or angry upon seeing me. I struggle to straighten myself and return his greeting.

"Greeting, Minato-sama," I quickly bow the best I can in my laying position. A flicker of surprise crosses his face, but his face returns to the mask in an instant and I am unsure if I imagined it. My grandfather speaks then, breaking my train of thought.

"I will leave you two to get acquainted; I have some business that needs to be attended to." With a short nod he leaves, the doors closing behind him. I am left looking at the stone faced sub-heir. With the introductions out of the way I don't know how to continue. The few people I meet are adults that simply give me details of what is happening within the clan or outside in the world. All I do is listen and when they are finished they leave. So I am stuck speechless because I do not know how to continue. I feel nervous as if one wrong word can mess this up.

"How are you?" The blue haired boy breaks the silence. I see him flinch slightly at the awkwardness of the question. I am a boy who has been sick for the majority of my life. At least he is making an effort, compared to my pathetic performance.

"I have been… better," I reply, "and yourself?" A weak reply but I manage to keep the conversation going.

"I am a bit tired, training is harsher than I expected." I feel guilt clawing at my insides. This boy is treated as a spare, an extra and trained to the bone, but because of my sickness I do not lift a finger to do work. He is what the heir should be and yet I hold that title by blood, not skill. Although my power is tremendous as a magician my sickly body does not allow me to leave my bed. It is truly a curse. Thus this boy is trained as my replacement for my sickness.

"I should apologize, if I was not so fragile, you wouldn't have been put through all of this." My eyes are downcast, but I hear nothing as a response and my eyes move to Minato. Did I mess up already? Why isn't he responding? He looks at me for 10 seconds before a smile cracks onto his face.

"You feeling nervous too?" The tension I feel fades away. I smile and start to laugh at the childishness of the situation. We are children, one eight the other seven. Yet, we are trying to act professional like the adults. Why not act our age for once? He does not know how to act towards me, the current second generation heir and I to him, the substitute.

"Shall we start over?" I suggest and he simply nods once still wearing the small smile on his face. I take this as my cue. "My name is Minoru Kudou, second heir to the Kudou clan." I hold out my hand and Minato steps forward to take it.

"My name is Minato Kudou, my magic is soul based." We shake hands, mimicking adults, but a smile of a child on our faces.

* * *

><p>I leave the two in the room and continue to the living room to rest for a bit. Minato and Minoru should get along well enough. Minato is mature and Minoru is the understanding type, they will be able to build a small friendship. The bigger concern on mine is Minato's actions these past months.<p>

I have constantly kept in touch with Minato's instructors and their reports are distressing. His skill level switches on a day to day basis. Some days, sword training is a breeze for him and the instructor is confident enough to move him on to a more advanced session. Others he can barely take a hit without falling over. His magic instructor reports the same things. Some days his spells are accurate and his use of psions are near perfect. The next he wastes psions to a large extent and grows exhausted within minutes of starting.

The most worrying piece of information was how Minato acted though. His skills seemed to change with his personality. Most of time he was collected, revealing nothing of what he was thinking or feeling. There were times the façade slipped though. He was noted to be headstrong at times and at other times was shy and bashful. I looked into several possibilities, such as multiple personality disorder, or other possible diseases. I even tried to connect his amnesia to his personality changes but I found nothing. His instructors were not only baffled by his behavior, they fear it. With his constantly changing skill level, the instructors were unsure how to continue. They pressed him as hard as they could on his good days in fear that he would lose all the skills he was supposed to maintain. This, of course, causes Minato exhaustion and I can only guess how he copes with it. In the end I hope that these fluxes in skill would subside.

* * *

><p>Minoru was not too bad, I decided as I talked with him. His sickness kept him confined within his bedroom from long periods of time so he was eager to hear about the outside world. I on the other hand thirsted for magical knowledge and knowledge of this world. So we "traded information" so to speak. I told him about the things I had seen from cities to forests and he talked about the history of magic and of the Kudou clan. Although, there was lots of information to share the conversation we had started to wane and a comfortable silence took place between us. A bookcase off to the side captured my attention and I inquired to Minoru about his collection.<p>

"You like books?" He nodded enthusiastically.

"All I can really do is read when I am sick. I have plenty of technical magic books, but there are plenty of fiction stories I can read if I get bored."

I stand and walk over to the bookcase for a closer inspection. My hands trail across the spines of the books reading the titles one by one. A specific book catches my eye and I grip it pulling it free from the bookcase. My eyes are wide, but they are hidden from Minoru's sight.

"Ah, The Pink Alligator? I loved that book as a child, it's still one of my personal favorites. Have you read it Minato?" My voice catches in my throat. The story was clear in my mind, but the man who wrote the book took up a majority of my thoughts. A man sealed to a cruel fate, but despite this strove to live his life to the fullest. Ironic the same situation was before me now.

"Was it popular?" I refuse to face Minoru as my eye gleam with unshed tears. I am proud that my voice is kept stable.

Minoru hums for a moment before answering. "Yeah, I think so. It was one of the most popular stories when it first came out. There is a special story about how the book came about too. The author who wrote the story died before the book was published and the boy who turned in the book for publishing refused to give his name saying to give all credit to the author and money to the author's mother. The boy was never seen again but without him the story wouldn't exist. I wipe my eyes and compose myself. I take a breath and turn to face Minoru.

"That's quite a story, mind if I borrow the book to read?" Minoru teased me for wanting to read a child's book, but in the end allowed me to borrow it until the next Sunday. After a little more talking, Restu appeared again saying it was time to leave. I left with a wave and Minoru urging I come again. Soon I found myself back in the limo speeding down the highway back to my home.

"How did you like the visit?" Restu asks. I am not sure if he is generally curious or simply teasing me.

"He is kind, I look forward to working with him." My response is honest. I look forward to seeing the boy in the future even if it is only on Sundays. Restu settles back into his seat seemingly satisfied so I take the lull in conversation to move to a different topic.

"May I ask a question?" Of course, I don't need permission to ask a question but it would be random if I didn't ask first. Restu nods and I continue. "Does 'befriend the brother of death' mean anything to you?" Restu frowns and thinks before coming up with an answer.

"Death is represented in several cultures across history. The Greeks considered the god Hades to be the god of death but he had several brothers. In other religions and cultures you had Supray, Erebrus, Izanami, and Anubis. To a lesser degree Thantos was also a deity of the dead. As for relations to those gods I don't really have a clue. Why do ask?"

"I was reading one of Minoru's books and it was a riddle I came across. I was wondering if you knew the answer." Restu probably wouldn't be concerned enough to dig deeper if it was from a child's book. Restu simply nodded and leaned back into his chair and I remained silent. His answers provided me with little to no insight whatsoever. I have already taken that train of thought and found the gods of death from many ancient cultures but found nothing. The closest item I found was Thantos but that lead nowhere. I sighed. I was back at square one. The rest of the trip is made in silence as no one attempts to make conversation. Soon I was returned to my house and I walked in.

"Welcome home, Minato!" Ayumi called. Ayumi is the maid that was hired to take care of the house and I while Kyouko is away at her "job." At first the relationship between Ayumi and I was a bit shaky. She did not know how to treat me, whether "sama" should be used, and other items as well. We eventually got to know each other and she does an amazing job as my caretaker. It is disappointing that Kyouko couldn't be around, but it is understandable. The only people that I feel respects me are Restu, Ayumi, Kyouko and recently Minoru. Restu only appears sporadically, and I only met Minoru today. The majority of my interactions are with Ayumi and Kyouko and only if she wasn't busy with her job. I see Kyouko as the mother I never had, well maybe older sister. She is always trying to spend time with me, but because of our schedules we never have a lot of time together. What little time we had together is fantastic though. She has nearly endless patience and no matter how many times we go over the same topic of magic or a part of magic theory she will explain it.

"Minato, how was your day?" Ayumi calls out and I respond with a brief explanation of my activities. Upon finishing, I ask her to put the book I borrowed into my room and she laughs when she sees what I am holding. I quickly rush off to avoid any more teasing and go to the home gym. Here I do light exercises, nothing too strenuous. I usually have no need to do this, but I have not trained today thus I need to keep my skills sharp. After two hours or so I am called for dinner and quickly head to the dining room. The stew served tastes exquisite and I tell Ayumi so, but she simply laughs the compliment off. After the meal, the day has grown late so I prepare for bed. As the shower water runs over me I finally relax and let the stress drain away. Sleepwear adorned, I make my way from my restroom to my bed when the door opens in a hurry. I smile upon seeing who it is.

"Ahh, Kyouko. You're home."

* * *

><p>My car comes to an abrupt stop on my driveway and I practically leap from the car. The mission was over stretched. The enemy bases were more heavily fortified than originally believed and it took more time than expected to break in. Then the debriefing took longer than expected. So here I am coming home to my house three hours later than planned and rushing. Upon entering I give a quick thank you to Ayumi's greeting and rush up the stairs. Three doors down, door to the left and I am opening Minato's room door.<p>

"Ahh, Kyouko. You're home." The boy is clothed in his sleepwear and is clearly headed for bed. I force a strained smile onto my face. I have failed again.

"Did you eat dinner?"

"Yeah, the stew was good." Those words send spikes of disappointment through me and guilt churns inside me. I dragged this boy into a world of status and politics. The least I can do hold his hand from time to time. The instructors and council members treat him as a spare. I try but I can't get to him. We barely eat together, talk to one another. When we do have time, he asks about magic theory or magic's general uses. He does not act like the child he should be and I feel as if I am to blame. He was forced to grow up faster than I expected and I am unable to help him along. I feel he must hate me behind that gentle smile of his, for taking away his childhood and throwing him into this place.

"Ahh, I see." What else can I say? Sorry for not being there for you? Apologizes for being late? I can't make any excuses and the smile on my lips waver. "Alright, why don't you get to bed then? You have another day of training tomorrow, right?" My hand shakily grabs the door to shut it but Minato calls out to me.

"Can you read me a story?" My eyes flicker back to Minato who is holding a book.

"Of course, which book?"

"A book I borrowed from Minoru." He hands me the book of the pink alligator. He settles into bed and I sit beside him almost nervously at first but I manage to relax and start reading.

"There once was a pink alligator-" I have never seen Minato this childish before. Asking me to read a book seems so basic that it may not make a difference at all, but I must try. I can help him step by step even if the steps are tiny and unnoticeable. I can try to be the sister, (or is it mother?), that I should be to this boy. Maybe, it's times like these that can help him the most.

"I knew that this was a great story." Minato whispers out, sleep lacing his voice.

"Yeah, now rest up alright?" I do not receive an answer as he drifts off to sleep.

* * *

><p>AN: I would like to give a special thank you to yasulong, flamineus, and redborn28 for your help behind the scenes.

I also would like to give a thank you to all my followers and people who favorited.

And now for the section you to give you a few laughs. My responses to the "guest" comments. Go check them up in the review area.

Feel the Blue: I feel that fate/stay magic is different from Mahouka magic and I would rather not take any ideas

Klein: Thanks, now if only you explained what those "plausible scenarios." I could have worked on it...

RandonReview: Well I am happy you know everything that's happening in the story and how to make it FAR better.

itslameastranger: Thanks, I will double check my research.

Guest:...cool.

Ragnarok: yep

kraker: I appreciate your concern.


End file.
